Narrative:

Our flight of apr/xx/95 was initially cleared by ATC on a route overland. The clearance was changed to an overwater utilizing one of the atlantic rtes. Clearance said 'we're going to clear you like yesterday' and gave us the overwater clearance. There has been change, and pending change, in the offshore limit for various aircraft recently. I had not flown for a month and after discussing it with my copilot, I decided that our md-88 could exceed 50 mi from shore per changes in policy that had been pending, and which I thought had occurred. I later found the md-88 is still limited to 50 mi offshore. We were sometimes on vectors, sometimes direct, but operating around the atlantic rtes and very likely exceeded 50 mi from shore. Factors contributing to this were: 1) ATC clearing us overwater saying the flight had gone that way the day before. 2) pending changes in offshore limit that stayed unresolved for some time. 3) a ton of constant changes and revisions that come in from a great number of various sources. It all begins to get vague with so much coming from so many sources. Suggestions: act on proposed changes promptly and disseminate results. Ask ATC not to clear md-88's down the atlantic rtes. Supplemental information from acn 302167: when we called clearance they asked if we were the same crew as the previous day because we would be flying the same routing. They then came back and cleared us on a routing that took us out over the water. The key was when clearance said that it was the same route that the previous crew had flown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AMENDED CLRNC RTE CHANGE ACCEPTED BY FLC. UNAUTH OVERWATER OP DETERMINED AFTER THE FLT.

Narrative: OUR FLT OF APR/XX/95 WAS INITIALLY CLRED BY ATC ON A RTE OVERLAND. THE CLRNC WAS CHANGED TO AN OVERWATER UTILIZING ONE OF THE ATLANTIC RTES. CLRNC SAID 'WE'RE GOING TO CLR YOU LIKE YESTERDAY' AND GAVE US THE OVERWATER CLRNC. THERE HAS BEEN CHANGE, AND PENDING CHANGE, IN THE OFFSHORE LIMIT FOR VARIOUS ACFT RECENTLY. I HAD NOT FLOWN FOR A MONTH AND AFTER DISCUSSING IT WITH MY COPLT, I DECIDED THAT OUR MD-88 COULD EXCEED 50 MI FROM SHORE PER CHANGES IN POLICY THAT HAD BEEN PENDING, AND WHICH I THOUGHT HAD OCCURRED. I LATER FOUND THE MD-88 IS STILL LIMITED TO 50 MI OFFSHORE. WE WERE SOMETIMES ON VECTORS, SOMETIMES DIRECT, BUT OPERATING AROUND THE ATLANTIC RTES AND VERY LIKELY EXCEEDED 50 MI FROM SHORE. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS WERE: 1) ATC CLRING US OVERWATER SAYING THE FLT HAD GONE THAT WAY THE DAY BEFORE. 2) PENDING CHANGES IN OFFSHORE LIMIT THAT STAYED UNRESOLVED FOR SOME TIME. 3) A TON OF CONSTANT CHANGES AND REVISIONS THAT COME IN FROM A GREAT NUMBER OF VARIOUS SOURCES. IT ALL BEGINS TO GET VAGUE WITH SO MUCH COMING FROM SO MANY SOURCES. SUGGESTIONS: ACT ON PROPOSED CHANGES PROMPTLY AND DISSEMINATE RESULTS. ASK ATC NOT TO CLR MD-88'S DOWN THE ATLANTIC RTES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 302167: WHEN WE CALLED CLRNC THEY ASKED IF WE WERE THE SAME CREW AS THE PREVIOUS DAY BECAUSE WE WOULD BE FLYING THE SAME ROUTING. THEY THEN CAME BACK AND CLRED US ON A ROUTING THAT TOOK US OUT OVER THE WATER. THE KEY WAS WHEN CLRNC SAID THAT IT WAS THE SAME RTE THAT THE PREVIOUS CREW HAD FLOWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.